My First Board - Was this a good choice?..

[BettyC]

Hi!
I have just bought myself a 7'6" Mini Mal NSP Surf-Betty, upon someones recommendation, but I'm a little 'confoodled' by all the conflicting advice out there on the correct size of beginner board. I'm 5'8" and weigh approx 9 stone, and the water I'm going to be in at home are UK North East and South West... Was my choice of board a little long? Would a 7'2" been a better option, or will the extra 4 inches prove helpful when I'm learning?

Cheers,

Beth

[trifish]

You picked out a great size to start on. Now go surf!

[BettyC]

I cant really ask for a better reply than that! haha Thanks - was a little worried that I'd wasted money!

[trifish]

I would of told you to get the same thing or something similar, so you made a good decision. You will progress alot faster then you would have on a shorter board. Find you some surfbuds that can help you out there your first few times and get you on the right track and enjoy the stoke.

[drowningbitbybit]

Spot on.

You win this week's Sensible Newbie Award

[sinistapenguin]

7'6 is a great size for a beginner and not only for beginners.

If you buy a board that's too long, you can still ride it. If you buy one that's too short, you're screwed and it will hold back your surfing career and limit the fun you can have.

I did what every newbie does, bought my first board, then 'progressed' to the shortest, narrowest, fastest board I could find. I spent 11 frustrating years with that board, only having good rides when conditions were perfect. About 4 years ago, I traded it for a 7'5 custom mini-mal and I am a way better surfer and have soooooooooooo much more fun now. I can go out with my brother in law when it's only 1ft or paddle out into 5ft swell and my board performs brilliantly.

You've picked the ideal board, you can catch just about anything going on that and that's exactly what you need to do as a beginner.

Good choice!

[T.I.]

What's 9 stone in english units? Maybe a conversion?

[drowningbitbybit]

What's 9 stone in english units? Maybe a conversion?

9 stone is english units - you want USA units

9 stone = 126 pounds = 57 kilos.

[themathteacher]

NSP are super durable, they take a bunch of punishement. It's not really high performance, but for a begginer they are perfect. Once you get better don't sell it, keep it as your loaner board or a small wave board, had mine for about 7 years

[BettyC]

Thank you so much for all the great replies, massive help! I spent ages researching this online and talking to the surfers I know, and you get conflicting opinions, but this has put my mind at ease ....so - its a girly fun board?! So the local surfers will mock me for a good long while!!...but I need to learn and earn the next board.....next dilemma, I bought a roof rack system, but surely its gotta be illegal to but a surfboard on top of a VW lupo GTI !!! I think its back to a golf or maybe a pick up truck for me; Surfing is turning out to be so life changing already!!

Thanks again. Awesome.

Beth

[sinistapenguin]

So the local surfers will mock me for a good long while!

Nobody will mock you, at least no real surfers will. Every time I see someone out there, I'm totally stoked for them. I watched my brother in law turn for the first time last week and I felt as if I'd just done it!! He had a massive grin on his face and I got a massive adrenalin rush just watching him and remembering the feeling when I did it!

In any case surfing isn't about what anyone else thinks, it's all about how you feel. If you never get another board and stay catching white water forever, as long as you're enjoying it who cares???!!!! (also, when you do get your next board, DO NOT get rid of this one, you will want to keep it for: friends you meet, small days, paddling practice etc.

I once went surfing on my old shortboard in 1 ft Saunton, I was having a nightmare because my board just wouldn't go. This guy paddles over and says "you look like you're struggling on that thing, I've got a spare Mini-Mal on my van in the carpark if you want to borrow it..." I did and loved it. That was 10 years ago and I've never forgotten that bloke, it sums up the spirit of surfing for me.

but surely its gotta be illegal to but a surfboard on top of a VW lupo GTI !!!

There's no law against putting it on a Lupo, my friend and I drove 3 boards on a lupo from the Midlands to Newquay, it'll be fine as long as you strap it down well.

Surfing is turning out to be so life changing already!!

It is life changing and it's something only other surfers will understand. You can't explain the feeling to a non-surfer.

Keep it up!
Sin'

[BettyC]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement...really awesome. I've wanted to learn and get good at this for so many years, never had the confidence till now. Some have that confidence when they are kids, I never did, I was actually terrified of the water untill I was 10. By age 12 I was absolutely madly in love with the see, a kind of strange fascination thats never left.

Ok - I will hang on to my Lupo, (kind of want to anyway - I love her!) I've spotted a couple of good strap roof rack systems that should do the job well. And I totally see where youre coming from on the board, makes total sense to keep it given that my local surf spot at Tynemouth is going to have alot of flat days!

Really appreciate the encouragement. I believe it will do me personally alot of good, I think I'll take alot of positive stuff from surfing, and that will change my life completely.

Thanks

Beth

[essex sucks]

well this was nice to read first time for along time i have enjoyed reading a newbies thread and good to see someone go for a good chosse in board sounds like your going to have the surfers stoke, thats it your life is now going to be all about surfering and nothing else.

have fun and keep the stoke good luck

es

[sinistapenguin]

surfering

I like it a combination of Surfing and Suffering, the pain of wanting to go surfing but not being able to!!

[Bewilderbeast]

Good on ya Beth, made all the right choices!! Do remember that the first stages of learning will be the most frustrating time of your life, but keep the stoke.

See ya out there sometime!!

[sinistapenguin]

first stages of learning will be the most frustrating time of your life

I suppose they can be frustrating, but they can also be so much fun. I wish i could still get the same stoke from being battered about by 6ft of whitewater!!

[dunno]

What I really wanto to know....

Why is the heck are there so many dudes from the U.K that surf??? Now thats dedication!!! Plus learning to avoid that ice bergs will really improve your turning

[RJD]

So Dunno where aer you from?

UK gets some pretty decent waves in the SE and NE too, Water temps arnt that low I dont think.

Also I think surfings become a bit of a fad in the UK with a lot of people trying it out.

You realise its an island with a lot of coasline?

[dunno]

So Dunno where aer you from?

UK gets some pretty decent waves in the SE and NE too, Water temps arnt that low I dont think.

Also I think surfings become a bit of a fad in the UK with a lot of people trying it out.

You realise its an island with a lot of coasline?

Im from the land down under


yeah I suppose anything thats above 5 degrees would be balmy for someone form New Zealund eh

[dougirwin13]

Ozzie Ozzie Ozzie!